Calling your child’s school – what to say

Introduce yourself

Before you talk about why you are calling, it’s important you introduce yourself. Give the person who answers the phone your name, your child’s name, your child’s class and the name of your child’s teacher.

Outline the issue

Briefly explain why you are calling. For example, you could say you are calling about your child’s attendance at school, their classroom learning, or their friendships at school. Just give enough information so the person on the other end of the line can decide who is the best person to help you with your enquiry.

State if it is urgent or not

Make sure you let the school know if the matter is urgent. An urgent matter might be when your child needs medication given to them within a certain time. If it is a matter relating to your child’s learning or relationships with other children in the class, then this is not something that would need to be dealt with immediately.

Suggest a meeting

If the matter is non-urgent and likely to require some discussion, you should ask if you can meet with a member of the school staff.  Before you call the school, make sure you work out some days and times you are free to attend a meeting should it be required.

Confirm arrangements

Whatever next steps you agree over the phone, confirm them by repeating them to the person you are speaking to. If you’ve agreed to come in for a meeting, repeat the day, time and the name of the person you will be meeting with so both you and the school are clear on what is planned. If you’ve agreed to deliver something to the school or to send an email outlining your issue in greater detail, confirm this arrangement and then follow through.

When to talk to your local regional office

If you’ve worked closely with your child’s school and things still aren’t working out, please contact your local Department of Education regional office to seek help.